Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility

by Ashley James, Rio Cortez, Marwa Helal, Kristian Henson, Harmony Holiday, Nontsikelelo Mutiti, Hassan Rahim, Kevin Young, Jordan Carter, Ayanna Dozier, Key Jo Lee, Legacy Russell, Abbe Schriber From Dawoud Bey and Lorna Simpson to Sondra Perry and Kerry James Marshall, a multiethnic group of artists explores what it means to be seen, not seen or erased in the world through formal experimentations with the figure. Going Dark brings together a multigenerational group of contemporary artists who engage the "semi-visible" figure--representations that are partially (or fully) obscured, including, in some cases, literally darkened--and suggests that the concept of going dark is a tool that has been used by artists for decades to probe enduring questions surrounding both the potential and the discontents of social visibility. Across mediums--painting, photography, sculpture, video and installation--Going Dark names, charts and makes meaning of the semi-visible figure, arguing for its signif